Douche



T. H. McNAMARA.

DOUCHE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 191B.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W N "I N I v is? Inventor %W/-/\//%MM Attfy:

T. H. McNAMARA.

DOUCHE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY :3, 19m.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- Inventor v IiIiIIIIIIIll/l/Il/ll/r/ll/lrllIlllllI/l THOMAS H. MGNAMARA, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DOUCHE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

Application filed May is, 1918. Serial No. 234,328;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. MoNA- Maria, a citizen of the United States, residing in. the city and county of San Francisco and State or California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Douches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rectal douches wherein the weight of the patient operates in conjunction With a pisston-seat to project. a liquid douche into the rectum and colon of said patient.

This invention has for its object a rectal or vaginal douche adapted to be operated by the weight of the patient to control the amount and pressure or force of a liquid douche to the end that a comfortable internal bath may be obtained without detriment to the patient.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sanitary douche upon which a convalescent patient may be C0111- fortably seated to receive an internal bath in the rectum or vagina.

Another object of the present invent-ion is to provide an improved device of the character described arranged to receive the liquid after ejection from the patient and to isolate said ejected liquid from the unused portion of the liquid bath.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby. the flow or amount of liquid may be easily regulated and con trolled, or entirely prevented, by the patient.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the return of liquidL from the rectum or vagina to the unused portion of the bath.

It is also desired to provide a simple, ef-

fective and sanitary apparatus adapted to comfortably and conveniently project an internal bath and to receive the discharge from said bath without having deleterious effects upon the patient.

I accomplish these several objects by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specification, wherein like charcters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the said specification and drawings, and in Wl11Cl1 Figure 1 is a broken view partly in section, of my improved device;

liquid 2 is a vertical sectional view of the d sclosing the flexible nature of the connection IS a broken plan view of the de- Fig. device Fig. 3 vice;

Fig. i is a broken vertical sectional. view of the liquid conveying connection; and

Fig. 5 is a broken view, partly in section of the upper portion of said connection, disclosing the means for preventing a return of the liquid through said connection.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate a container having an arcuate annular flange 2 on the top thereof. What I term, for purposes of description, a hollow piston seat 3 is slidably mounted within the container 1 and provided with an arcuate annular flange a at the top thereof, said flange serving as a seat for the patient and also as a means for engaging the annular flange 2 on the container 1 to limit the movement of said piston-seat 3 into said container 1, the purpose of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The bottom of the piston-seat 8 is provided with a suitable cup-washer 6 to prevent the passage of liquid between the exterior of the said piston-seat 3 and the interior of the container 1.

To the bottom of the piston-seat 3 is secured an inward tubular extension 7 having a reduced portion 8 screwed thereonto to receive a rubber or other flexible tubular connection 9.

To the tubular flexible connection 9 is secured a tube 11 having ;a suitable stuffing gland 12 at the upper end thereof. A tube 14 is slidably mounted Within the tube 11 and is normally raised by means of a suit able spring 16 seated within the tube 11.

The upper end of the tube 14 is tapered as at 17 to detachably receive a sleeve 18 having an enlarged soft rubber Washer 19 thereon. To the sleeve 18 is secured a suitable tip 21 for insertion into the rectum or vagina.

A valve 22 is slidably mounted within the tubular extension 7 to control and regulate the passage of liquid through the flexible, yieldingly and longitudinally collapsible connection comprising the flexible connection 9, tubes 11 and ltand tip 21.

The valve 22 is provided with a flange 23 and is limited in its downward movement by means of a suitable bracket 24:.

A coiled spring 26 is interposed between the bottoms of the container 1 and the piston-seat 3 to normally prevent the depression of said piston-seat 3 into the container 1.

An inwardly opening check valve 27 is mounted within the bottom of thecontainer 1 whereby said container 1 may be charged by immersing into a liquid to be used as an internal bath or douche.

A hollow cover 28 is pro ided with a hollow extension 29 to receive and inclose the tip 21 when the device is not in use thereby providing sanitation and'preventing noxious odors from arising from the ejected bath within the pistonseat 3.

In operation the patient removes the cover 28 and seats himself upon the annular flange 4 of the piston-seat 3. The tip 21 is depressed against the tension of the spring 16 and inserted into the rectum or vagina of the patient, the flexible connection 9 readily permitting a deflection or lateral movement of the tubes 11 and 1-iand the tip 21 lo reach the rectum of the patient without requiring said patient to adjust himself to the position of the tip.

When the tip 21 is properly inserted the tension of the spring 16 will retain said ti in position and the rubber washer 19 snugly against the body of the patient. The weight of the patient upon the piston-seat 8, which weight may be easily regulated and controlled by the patient himself, will depress the said piston-seat 3 into the container 1 and thereby force liquid through the tubular connections 1, 8, 9, 11, i l and the tip 21 into the rectum or vagina, the weight of the valve 22 tending to keep said valve open until an excessive pressure produces a passage of water of su'llicient velocity to act on the flange 23 of the valve 22 and thereby close said valve to prevent an excessive amount or pressure of bath should the patient suddenly lose control and rest his entire weight upon the flange l of the piston-seat 3.

Any portion of the liquid internal bath ejected by the patient will be received into the hollow piston-seat 3 and there isolated or kept separate from any unused portion of the bath remaining within the container 1.

To prevent a return of ejected liquid from the patient into the container 1 should said patient suddenly arise I have provided a ball check valve 31 preferably within the top of the tube 14;; said ball being arranged to permit a passage of liquid in an upward direction into the patient and to prevent a flow of said liquid downward and into the container 1.

After using the cover 28 is replaced and the tip 21 inserted within the hollow extension 29 of said cover 28.

The cover being tightly engaged will prevent the passage of noxious odors and thereby render the device sanitary.

The Pl-StOD'SSZLiL 3 may be removed from the container 1 and emptied by stepping upon projections 32 secured to the bottom of the container 1 and lifting said piston seat from said container.

The container 1 may be recharged by imnersing within a liquid to be used for the bath which liquid will flow through the inwardly opening check valve 27 in the bottom of said container 1.

In my invention, an important feature, which should not be overlooked, is that a person using the d uche' is not compelled to exert manual pressure upon the washer 19 or retaining the tip 21 in proper inserted osition, but that the yieldingly collapsible connection 1% prevents the tip from being accidentally expelled, thus relieving the hands of the person of the strain caused by the otherwise necessary manipulation, and thereby also materially aiding the person in being comfortably seated upon the piston seat 3.

it is obvious from the foregoing that l have provided an improved sanitary rectal douche whereby an internal bath may be easily and conveniently administered by the patient himself without producing any det rimental effects. it is also evident that the weight of the patient may be adjusted to regulate the force and flow of the liquid so that said liquid may be easily forced far as the colon without inserting any tnbw connection into said colon.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by ters Patent is 1. A douche comprising a container; a hollow piston-seat slidably mounted within the container; and a flexible, *ieloingly and longitudinally collapsible connection secured to the bottom of the piston-s =.t and extending outwardly and above the piston seatand connecting with the container to convey liquid from the contain r into the rectum and colon or the vagina of a person seated upon the piston seat, said piston-seat being arranged to receive the liquid after ejection from said rectum or vagina and to prevent said liquid from being returned to the container.

2. A douche comprising a container; a h llow piston-seat slidably mounted within the container; a flexible, yieldingly and longitudinally collapsible connection secured to the bottom of the piston-seat and extending said liquid from being returned to the container; and a valve controlled by the velocity of the liquid for regulating the flow of liquid from the container to the connection.

3. A douche comprising a container; a hollow piston-seat slidably mounted within the container; a flexible, yieldingly and longitudinally collapsible connection secured to the bottom of the piston-seat and extending outwardly and above the piston seat and connecting with the container to convey liquid from the container into the rectum and colon or the vagina of a person seated upon the piston-seat, said piston-seat being arranged to receive the liquid after ejection from said rectum or the vagina and to prevent said liquid from being returned to the-container; a valve controlled by the velocity of the liquid for regulating the flow of liquid from the container to the connection; and means for normally preventing the depression of the piston-seat into the container.

4. A douche comprising a container; a hollow piston-seat slidably mountedwithin the container; a flexible, yieldingly and lon gitudinally collapsible connection secured to the bottom of the piston-seat and extending outwardly and above the piston seat and" connecting with the container to convey liquid from the container into the rectum and colon or the vagina of a person seated upon the piston-seat, said piston-seat being arranged to receive the liquid after ejection from said rectum or the vagina and to prevent said liquid from being returned to the container; a valve controlled by the velocity of the liquid for regulatingthe flow of liquid from the container to the connection; means for normally preventing the depression of the piston-seat into the container; and means for normally preventing the return of liquid from the rectum or the vagina, through the connection into the container.

5. A douche comprising a container; a hollow piston-seat slidably mounted within the container; a flexible, yieldingly and longitudinally collapsible connection secured to the bottom or the piston-seat and extending outwardly and above the piston seat and connecting with the container to convey liquid from the container into the rectum and colon or the vagina of a person seated upon the piston-seat, said piston-seat being arranged to receive the liquid after ejection from said rectum or the vagina and to prevent said liquid from being returned to the container; a valve controlled by the velocity of the liquid for regulating the flow of liquid from the container to the connection; means for normally preventing the depression of the piston-seat into the container; means for normally preventing the return of liquid from therectum or the vagina, through the connection into the container;

and a suitable inwardly opening check-valve in the bottom of the container whereby said container may be charged by depressing into a liquid.

6. 'A douche comprising a container; a hollow piston-seat slida'bly mounted within the container; a flexible, yieldingly and longitudinally collapsible connection secured to the bottom of the piston-seat and extending outwardly and above the piston seat and connecting with the container to convey liquid from the container into the rectum and colon or the vagina of a person seated upon the piston-seat, said piston-seat being arranged to receive the liquid after ejection from said rectum or the vagina and to prevent said liquid from being returned to the container; a valve controlled by the velocity or the liquid for regulating the flow of liquid from the container to the connection; means for normally preventing the depression of the piston-seat into the container; means for normally preventing the return or liquid from the rectum or the vagina, through the connection into the container; a suitable inwardly opening check-valve in the bottom of the container whereby said container may be charged by depressing into a liquid; and means for limiting the movement of the piston-seat within the container.

7. A douche comprising a container having an annular flange on the top thereof; a hollow piston-seat slidably mounted within the container and having an annular flange on the top thereof to engage the flange on the container and thereby limit the movement of said piston-seat within the container, said flange operating as an apertured seat; a yieldingly and longitudinally collapsible connection flexibly mounted upon the bottom of the piston-seat and extending outwardly and above the piston seat and con necting with the container below said piston seat to convey liquid from said container into the rectum and colon or the vagina of a person seated on said piston-seat when the same is depressed by the weight of the person seated on said seat; and a valve controlled by the velocity of the liquid for regu lating the flow of liquid through the connection when the piston-seat is depressed.

8. A douche comprising a container having an annular flange on the top thereof; a hollow piston-seat slidably mounted within the container and having an annular flange on the top thereof to engage the flange on the container and thereby limit the movement of said piston-seat within the con tainer, said flange operating as an apertured seat; a yieldingly and longitudinally collapsible connection flexibly mounted upon the bottom of the piston-seat and extending outwardly and above the piston seat and connecting with the container below said piston-seat to convey liquid from said container into the rectum and colon or the vagina of a person seated on said pistonseat when the same is depressed by the Weight of the person seated on said seat; 2L valve controlled by the velocity of the liquid for regulating the flow of liquid through the connection When the piston-seat is depressed; and means for normally pre venting 2L depression of the piston-seat within the container.

In Witness whereof I hereunto set my nature.

THOMAS H. MCNAMARA. 

